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11 Uncomfortable Realizations You Will Have During Self Improvement

Blog, Personal Development

Intentionally developing yourself is powerful, but not all sunshine and rainbows. Here are 11 uncomfortable realizations you will have on the path of self-improvement.

Read also: Drop out

1. Noticing Your Lack of Passion 

Looking at other people and seeing how passionate they are about their careers or hobbies is very uncomfortable if you lack that passion. 

You suddenly notice that you are doing things just because you thought you should do them. 

But there is no deeper joy or feeling of fulfillment behind your actions. 

If you are also not striving towards something that’ll make you feel more passionate, it can make you wonder if you are living life the right way at all. 

2. Being Incredibly Envious of Others

As you improve yourself, you become aware of all the things you want: Financial Freedom, Confidence, Passion, Deep Friendships, Unique Experiences, and more.

This awareness can bring an intense feeling of envy whenever you encounter someone who has those things. 

Noticing your envy will be an especially uncomfortable realization if you have been acting negatively on it. 

Envy is not inherently bad. In fact, it can be a powerful source of inspiration that guides you towards things that are meant for you.

However, envy can become toxic if you get lost in it and try to bring down the people it applies to. 

3. Feeling alone and distanced from friends and family

Before you dedicated yourself to personal development, you grew at a similar pace and direction to the people around you with whom you share many experiences.

As soon as you start dedicating your time to self-improvement, you jumped off the designated track and forged your own path. 

Somewhere along the way, you will make the uncomfortable realization that you have distanced yourself quite a bit from the path your family and friends walk on. 

You don’t have the same interests and mindset anymore and struggle to understand them or find shared conversation topics. 

You suddenly realize how alone you are on your self-improvement path, and you crave new close friends.

4. Questioning your religion/beliefs

Many of our beliefs are shaped in childhood through our family and society. 

Developing yourself means questioning those beliefs and, at times, having the uncomfortable realization that they are ill-founded and require change. 

5. Feeling ashamed of your faults

Have you ever looked back on your past actions, past outfits, or past writing and felt embarrassed by it? 

Back then, you might have been doing your best, but you could do much better nowadays since you’ve grown. 

This feeling of regret can turn into painful shame if you weren’t even doing your best, but you’ve only now become aware of your faults at work. 

You’ll need to work through this shame and forgive yourself while also ensuring you’ll be better the next time around. 

6. You realize you haven’t lived much yet

There are more things to do in this life than you’ll probably ever have time to do. 

That’s why it can be an especially uncomfortable realization to notice that you are basically spending every day the same way. 

You realize that you are not living life to its fullest despite that being your wish. 

But at this point, it might seem hard to break out of the patterns you’ve created, and you might also currently lack the financial means to experience your bucket list. 

7. You realize the goals you’ve been chasing won’t satisfy you

You’ve spent all this time, effort, and these tears pursuing goals that you were sure would make you happy. 

But then, through the course of your self-improvement, you learn more about your values in life, and your goals change. 

Suddenly, you are faced with the uncomfortable realization that you’ve been wasting all this time and effort on an empty shell of a goal. 

You have to work through the pain and redirect your focus better later than never when this happens. 

8. You feel like you’ve wasted a lot of your time

Now realizing the power of self-improvement, you regret not having started sooner. 

It feels like you’ve wasted a lot of time being a lesser version of yourself and chasing the wrong goals. 

Read also: 15 Ways to Spend Your Time Wisely | How to Use Time Better

9. You don’t know your future self and shouldn’t force a decision on it

Some students decide early on that they want to become a doctor/lawyer. They put a gruesome amount of effort into school so that they can go to med/law school later on. 

After years and years of effort, they finally get to med/law school only to realize that this is not what they expected it to be. 

But they’ve already invested so much into this dream, so many students keep going. 

Fast forward a few decades, and many find themself stressed and passionless in a demanding job that sucks out their lives. 

The lesson here is that you should be wary of following through on decisions you made a long time ago. 

I’m sure five years ago you would have never been able to guess the kind of interests and passions you have nowadays. 

So why would you expect yourself to make decisions that you will still be happy with five-ten years down the line?

Doing something just because your past self thought it’s the right thing to do is almost the same as letting your life be directed by a stranger. 

Yes, you might need to abandon your current trajectory, but that is still far better than ending up somewhere that makes you unhappy. 

10. Your success relies on luck as much as on hard work

Nobody likes being told that they got lucky with their success. Especially not when they did indeed put in the hours of hard work to reach their goal. 

Still, somewhere along the line, as you get over your limiting beliefs and amass more and more success, you will accept the uncomfortable realization that luck has aided you. 

You’ve grown up in the right place at the right time, been granted an education, a supportive family, and relative financial stability that many people on this earth do not have. 

I know I’ve also gotten incredibly lucky to discover a podcast when I was 19 that introduced me to entrepreneurship and a very affordable online course.

And that’s only one small stroke of fortune that probably altered my life forever. 

But don’t worry, I am not telling you that all of your success is down to luck. Plenty of people grew up extremely privileged but amount to very little in life because they don’t put in the hard work. 

Success requires both hard work and luck!

Read also: The Unfair Advantage Book Review | 11 Lessons + Quotes

11. Living life to the fullest requires suffering

Nowadays, the online world is always talking about being high vibe and positive. Especially in the law of attraction community, there is the misconception that you need to be happy as much as possible to attract your dream life. 

Let’s be real for a moment. If you felt happy all the time, you wouldn’t feel happy at all.

What even is happiness? We can only really define happiness in comparison to negative emotions. 

Our moments of darkness make the light all the much sweeter.

Perhaps even more important is the immense motivation we get from painful times. 

Why would you want to go through the trouble of becoming a better self if not to stop feeling incapable, useless, underaccomplished, stressed, sad, burned out, and passionless?

Humans are more strongly motivated to avoid pain than to gain pleasure.

So as uncomfortable it is to realize that you will never live a perfectly happy and content life all the time, at least you are now in a position to appreciate your life for what it is. 

This uncomfortable realization will ironically lead to more gratitude and happiness. You will feel less disappointed when your chase for ultimate happiness inevitably fails. And you will be kinder with yourself when you can’t uphold the unrealistic standard of being high vibe all the time. 

Don’t aim for happiness. Aim for gratitude and the realization of your potential!

Do you have any further uncomfortable realizations to share with your fellow Felicity Seekers? 

What has been the hardest realization you had to accept? 

Until next time!

11 uncomfortable realizations you will have due to personal development

35 Signs You Have Leveled Up in Life | Signs of a Glow Up

Blog, Personal Development

In the ever-changing game of life, the journey towards personal growth and self-improvement is a continuous adventure. Each day presents new opportunities to level up, transforming into the best version of ourselves. But how do you know when you’ve made significant strides on this path of progress? Look for the signs; those subtle yet powerful indicators that reveal your transformation. From shedding old habits to embracing new experiences, these signs signify that you’re on the right track. In this blog post, we explore 35 such signs of leveling up in life, shedding light on your ongoing journey towards becoming the best version of yourself. You’ve come a long way from where you started, and it’s time to celebrate your personal growth.

Read also: 33 Boss Lady Glow Up Ideas – How To Level-Up

Level Up/Glow-Up – What does it mean?

Leveling up in life, often referred to as a glow-up, signifies a profound transformation and personal evolution. It’s not just about physical changes or superficial improvements; it’s a holistic journey toward becoming the best version of oneself.

A glow-up represents a shift in mindset, embracing self-love, confidence, and self-awareness. It involves shedding old habits, negative thought patterns, and toxic relationships, while actively pursuing positive growth and development.

This process encompasses various aspects of life, including mental and emotional well-being, relationships, career, and personal goals. It’s about stepping out of one’s comfort zone, setting clear intentions, and working diligently to achieve them.

A glow-up is not an overnight occurrence but a gradual, continuous effort to enhance one’s life, embracing new experiences, challenges, and opportunities along the way. Ultimately, it embodies the empowering journey of self-discovery and self-improvement, leading to a more fulfilled, confident, and authentic version of oneself.

Why Should You View Life as a Video Game?

Viewing life as a game where you can level up can be an incredibly motivating perspective. It instills a sense of purpose and direction, much like playing a video game where you work towards achieving objectives and overcoming challenges.

This gamified outlook on life encourages setting clear goals, embracing new experiences, and continuously improving oneself. It adds an element of excitement and adventure, making even the most daunting challenges feel like epic boss battles that need conquering.

Moreover, seeing life as a game allows you to celebrate your achievements, no matter how small, and provides a tangible sense of progress and accomplishment. It fosters a positive mindset, encouraging you to stay engaged in the real world and avoid distractions.

In essence, approaching life as a game where you can level up can infuse motivation, enthusiasm, and a greater sense of fulfillment into your everyday experiences.

Signs You Are Leveling Up In Life

1. You don’t get stressed/upset over some things anymore

Sometimes you come across a situation that you know would have bothered you endlessly had it happened a year ago. 

Interestingly, though, right now, it doesn’t feel like much more than a fleeting thought. 

This is one of the surest signs that you have leveled up. You are now capable of handling challenging situations in a stride. 

2. You notice self-sabotaging habits in others

As you spend time with personal development content and you overcome your own self-sabotaging habits, you develop more and more expertise around the topic. 

Unsurprisingly, this results in you starting to notice the speech patterns or actions of the people around you that are like a big warning sign for toxic habits. 

It can be very difficult to keep yourself in check and not try to provide help to people that do not want to better themselves. 

3. You notice your own excuses and negative thoughts

Another sign of leveling up in life is a heightened sense of self-awareness. You notice many of your recurring bs more easily and call yourself out on it as much as possible. 

4. Habits you’ve struggled with are suddenly an indispensable part of your day

When I started working out regularly, it was a struggle to convince myself to do it three times a week. 

Then suddenly, after months of more or less forced consistency, I noticed that I had fun doing a workout not only three but five days a week. 

And months later, that turned to do either a workout, yoga, or a long stretching session every day of the week. 

As much as I had to force myself initially, now, my day feels lacking if I don’t do my morning workout/yoga/stretching. Once I realized this change, I knew I had leveled up in life.

I am looking forward to the day when I’ll have the same realization with my meditation practice. I am still struggling to keep it up. 

5. Your goals have changed

Children have very different goals than teenagers and college students. 

As our mindset changes and knowledge increases, we look at life differently and aim for different things. That doesn’t change with becoming an adult. 

If you actively focus on improving yourself, you can expect your goals to change in accordance. New goals are a sign that you have leveled up in life. 

6. Your confidence is recovering after it plummeted

Growth is rarely a smooth ride. It often comes with the realization of your own faults and lack of skills or knowledge. 

These realizations can deliver a nasty punch to your confidence and self-esteem. 

If you are an ambitious person, this can be a good thing because it gets you to work even harder on bettering yourself. 

As you see yourself improve in these sore areas, your confidence will recover along with it. 

7. Previous interests don’t fascinate you as much anymore

Realizing that you’ve lost passion for something you used to be obsessed with and that provided you with so much joy can be sad. 

However, it also indicates that it served its purpose and that you live life at a different level. 

Get excited for the new passions you’ll discover.

8. You’ve finally made an important decision and gotten rid of the shiny objects distracting you

It is not a rare occurrence to find yourself faced with a difficult decision and tons of shiny objects distracting you from moving forward. 

Finally, making that decision and moving forward with your life in a determined and focused manner is a sign you have leveled up. 

This could happen if you choose your college degree, a job or finally commit to one of the million side hustle possibilities. 

9. You finally do the things you’ve procrastinated on only to realize they’re much easier to do than expected.

Procrastination is keeping us stuck in life. 

As soon as we are ready to move forward and break the blockage holding us back, we have leveled up in a small way and will most likely discover that this task is much easier than anticipated. 

10. You don’t feel as close anymore to some of your friends and family members

As your mindset, goals, and approach to life change, you will struggle to connect with the people around you that have stayed the same or changed in a different way.

This doesn’t mean you can’t love them and spend time with them still. 

But you probably will crave new close connections with people that understand you. 

11. Things you’ve heard before suddenly hit you deeply

Have you ever wondered why books that some people describe as life-changing get rated two stars by other people? 

Sure, different people have different interests and tastes. But beyond that, people experience things differently depending on their mindset, previous knowledge, and experiences.

A book that you see as boring rubbish today might be incredibly eye-opening for you in a few years. 

Conversely, a book that you experienced as life-changing five years ago might make you cringe today. 

A sure sign that you have leveled up in life is for you to experience things differently than before. 

12. You think a lot about how to save time

A common sign of leveling up in life is being more intentional about how you spend your time. 

You now have different goals, interests, and priorities that you want to spend your time with. 

Therefore you are less tolerant of wasting your time in any way. This is why you think a lot about time-saving alternatives. 

13. You answer personality quizzes more honestly

Personality quizzes are fun, but we can also easily manipulate them. We often know what kind of result we want from a quiz  – most likely the result in the form of the personality we wish we had and therefore admire in others. 

This doesn’t always align with our current personality, so we more or less unconsciously bend some of our answers in our favor. 

When you have leveled up in life, you are more aware and accepting of your character traits and habits. You are more at peace with yourself.

As a result, you will answer personality quizzes more truthfully and feel more aligned with the result you get. 

14. People notice that you’ve changed

Some people might compliment you on your new attitude and energy. Others might feel triggered by your change and criticize you for being stuck up. 

Either way, it’s a sure sign that you’ve leveled up in life. 

15. You feel like you’ve come out of the darkness and into the light

Leveling up is rarely an entirely smooth and comfortable ride. Instead, you will often level up through difficult times. As the saying goes: it’s always darkest before the dawn. 

So if you feel like you finally can breathe again and see a bright future ahead of you, that might be a strong sign that you have reached your next level. 

16. You’re willing to step out of your comfort zone

​A readiness to embrace discomfort and tackle new challenges is a powerful sign of leveling up. It signifies your commitment to personal growth and your dedication to achieving your goals. You recognize that the real changes happen outside your comfort zone, and you’re ready to venture into new territory.

17. You’re more engaged with your daily routine

​A heightened awareness of your daily activities and routines indicates mindfulness and a desire for improvement. You’re no longer coasting through life on autopilot; you’re actively engaged in your daily rituals, seeking to make the most of each moment.

18. You’re setting clear goals

Establishing specific, achievable objectives is a sign that you’re on a path of purposeful personal growth. Your goals are like quests in a video game, driving you toward a higher level in life. You’re no longer content with vague ambitions; you’ve set your sights on clear targets.

19. You’re open to learning new skills

​A willingness to acquire new skills and knowledge reflects your dedication to self-improvement and adapting to new challenges. Just like a video game character gaining experience points, you’re constantly leveling up your skill set in real life.

20. You’re better at forming and maintaining relationships

​Improved interpersonal skills and the ability to nurture meaningful connections signify personal growth. You understand the importance of better relationships and invest time and effort into maintaining them.

21. You’re comfortable with gradual progress

​Acknowledging that significant change is a gradual process shows your patience and commitment to lasting transformation. You’re no longer seeking quick fixes; you’re in it for the long haul.

22. You’re more focused on your mental and physical health

​Prioritizing your mental and physical well-being demonstrates a commitment to a healthier and more balanced life. Your daily routine incorporates activities that nurture both your body and mind.

23. You’re more goal-oriented

​Setting long-term goals and taking steps to achieve them is a clear sign of personal growth and increased ambition. You’re not just dreaming; you’re actively pursuing the best version of yourself.

24. You’ve developed a more positive mindset

​Cultivating a positive outlook on life reflects your evolving perspective and personal growth. Your mental health receives the same attention as your physical health, further enhancing your overall well-being.

25. You’re exploring new experiences

​A willingness to embrace new adventures and challenges suggests a thirst for personal growth. You’re open to new ways of thinking and new experiences, expanding your horizons with each opportunity.

26. You’re shedding old habits

Letting go of unhealthy behaviors and adopting positive habits is a significant sign of personal growth. You’ve recognized that these old behaviors no longer serve you, and you’re actively working to break free from them. Getting rid of bad habits helps you to reach a new level much faster than by creating new habits.

27. You’re taking the next step in your career

Advancing in your professional life is an indicator of personal growth and development. You’re not simply maintaining the status quo; you’re pushing your career to new heights. This doesn’t necessarily mean going for a promotion. It can also take the form of quitting your job entirely and starting over somewhere else.

28. You’re more engaged in real-life activities

​Reducing time spent on distractions like social media or video games and increasing real-life engagement shows your commitment to personal growth. You’re now living life at a higher level, focusing on what truly matters.

29. You’re setting clear boundaries

​Establishing healthy boundaries in your relationships and daily life is a sign of self-awareness and growth. You understand the importance of maintaining balance and protecting your well-being.

30. You’re pursuing your passions

Actively engaging in hobbies and interests you’re passionate about is a strong sign of a glow-up. These activities feed your soul, contributing to your overall sense of fulfillment and self-improvement.

31. You’re working towards bigger goals

​Setting ambitious, long-term goals and taking steps to achieve them signifies your dedication to personal growth. You’re no longer content with small achievements; you’re dreaming big and taking action to make those dreams a reality.

32. You’re maintaining a good morning routine

Prioritizing a productive morning routine indicates your commitment to starting each day on the right foot. Your morning habits set a positive tone for the rest of the day, ensuring you’re making the most of your time. 

33. You’re achieving real changes

​When you see tangible, positive transformations in your life, it’s a clear sign of personal growth. You’re not just talking about change; you’re actively making it happen.

34. You’re embracing the journey

Recognizing that personal growth is an ongoing process and not a destination reflects a mature perspective. You’ve come to understand that it’s the journey, not just the destination, that truly matters in the game of life. This frees you of the desperate longing for a bigger and better life. 

35. You’re feeling more empowered

​As you level up, you’ll feel a growing sense of empowerment and the ability to shape your destiny. You’re no longer a passive participant; you’re the hero of your own

In the ever-changing game of life, the journey towards personal growth and self-improvement is a continuous adventure. Each day presents new opportunities to level up, transforming into the best version of ourselves. But how do you know when you’re going in the right direction? Look for the signs; those subtle yet powerful indicators that reveal your transformation. From shedding old habits to embracing new experiences, these signs signify that you’re on the right track. Many successful people have undergone a similar transformation. 

In this blog post, we explore 35 such signs of leveling up in life. You’ve come a long way from where you started, and it’s time to celebrate your personal growth.

Did you recognize some of these signs in yourself? I am curious to hear what you think!

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!

15 signs that you have leveled up in life

13 Things That Change When You Fall In Love With Life

Blog, Personal Development

Why should you fall in love with life? What changes when you fall in love with life? Here are 13 changes you can expect and look forward to.

Read also: 55 Things That Happen During Your Personal Development Journey

1. You love the process at least as much as the goal 

When you fall in love with life, you realize that there is always another goal to chase. 

You don’t fall into the trap of believing that your happiness lies on the other side of your goals. 

Instead, you appreciate the process towards your goals. 

You celebrate the tiny victories along the way, and you are proud of how far you’ve already come. 

2. You love luxury not ‘just because’ but due to the feelings and experiences it provides

Many people crave luxuries because of the wealth they seem to represent. They want to have the newest, most exclusive, or most expensive thing because it flashes that they’re ‘in’ and ‘rich.’ 

There is nothing wrong with that as long as you don’t let this craving for recognition overcome you. 

When you fall in love with life, however, you view luxury differently. 

You are way too busy loving your life to care about whether or not others perceive you as rich and cool. 

Instead, you care about what those luxuries can do for you – the experiences, comfort, and opportunities they provide. 

You don’t want to fly first class just because it makes you feel cool. You fly first class because you appreciate the comfort it provides you over the clouds and because it enables you to enjoy those few hours in confinement the most.

Read also: 11 Ways To Spend Your Money Wisely | How To Spend Money

3. You want to experience it all

When you fall in love with life, you are eager to take in all the wonders life has to offer. 

While chocolate, cheese, or wine enthusiasts love to taste their way through different flavors, you like to taste the different flavors of life. 

4. You find joy in the things that annoy others

Others groan over dentist appointments; you look forward to them because of the clean and cared-for feeling you have afterward.

Most people hate Mondays; you see them as the start to another great week full of awesome opportunities.

Others curse at the train that breaks down; you are excited about this small adventure in your ordinary routine.

5. It pains you less when one door closes because you know another will open

It is common for people to be immensely bitter about the ‘bad’ cards that life deals them with. 

And if you look for these unlucky cards, you will find plenty of them in the form of a missed job opportunity, a bad teacher, an accident, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, etc. 

When you fall in love with life, you learn to appreciate your luck and your misfortune. You won’t necessarily enjoy it the moment it strikes, but eventually, you will. 

That’s because you know that with every closed door, a new one will open. 

You recognize all the times a closed-door has lead to something way better in your life, and don’t just write it off as coincidence like others do. 

You are grateful and wait patiently for that better door to open, and meanwhile, you continue to love life. 

6. You are less willing to stay in situations that make you unhappy

Don’t like that college major? Change it!

Hate that job? Quit and do something else!

Unsatisfied with romantic or social relationships? Plenty better people out there waiting for you!

When you fall in love with life, you recognize that better opportunities are waiting for you to take hold of them. 

7. You passionately work on improving yourself and your life in every possible way

Different opportunities await you at varying levels of personal growth. 

You are eager to unlock the wonders of life that come with a better self and work passionately on your personal development. 

Getting rid of anxieties and limiting beliefs makes life brighter and easier. 

8. You value your health but not to the extent that it keeps you from living

You take care of yourself to make sure you are mentally and physically capable of living life to the fullest.

You eat healthily, work out and talk to specialists if necessary.

However, you don’t miss out on a great meal in a unique location because it would break your healthy diet plan.

You also don’t give up that sport you like so much because it has a moderate risk of accidents. Instead, you make sure to take every precaution necessary. 

Overall, you find that sweet spot that enables you to live not only a long but also an exciting life. 

9. You allow yourself to follow your gut instead of strict logic

Your gut instinct or intuition is one of the most wondrous things in life. 

If you hear it out, it can help you make decisions you would have never thought of and make your life more magical. 

10. You value what you do have every day

Most people are always chasing for more: More money, more luxury, more holidays, more recognition, you name it. 

When you fall in love with life, you notice the beauty that already surrounds you.

You make sure to be grateful every day for the life you are currently living and every opportunity that will present itself to you in the future. 

There is less desperation in the chase for your goals. 

11. You are your own priority

Others may call it selfish, but you realize that you can only truly help others if you are at your best. 

Furthermore, you love life too much to play the martyr for other people’s happiness. 

Here is some help on making yourself your priority.

12. You gossip less

People who are busy being in love with life rarely have time for the trivialities of gossip. 

Of course, it can be entertaining once in a while. But many use the drama that surrounds other people to distract themselves from their own life. 

When you fall in love with life, you won’t feel the need for this kind of distraction. Instead, you like to put all your energy into living your own life.

13. You use social media more as a creator than a consumer

Just as much as gossip, social media is often used as a very powerful distraction from life. 

When you fall in love with life, you’ll likely notice a rapid decrease in your phone usage. 

This stems from a simple lack of time and change in priority. You are so engaged with living your own life, that in the few moments of boredom, social media might not take precedence in the ways to fill that time. 

You might use social media increasingly, though, as a content creator. After all, this is one of the many things you can try out in life, and who knows, it might turn into a money-making passion of yours.

That’s it.

What do you think? Would you say you are already in love with life, or could you fall harder? 

Which of these changes are you most excited to experience? 

I’d love to hear from you!

Sophie

13 things that happen when you fall in love with life

Stealing Fire Book Review | 11 Lessons + Quotes

Blog, Books, Personal Development

Stealing Fire introduces the reader to the discoveries having been made about Flow states. Let me share with you a few lessons in my book review.

Read also: The Richest Man of Babylon Book Review | 11 Lessons + Quotes

Read also: Secrets Of Six-Figure Women Book Review | 17 Lessons + Quotes

Book Review

I love reading about interesting studies and discoveries, and this book is full of them! Stealing Fire gave me a glance into the groundbreaking work going on to enable people to enter life-altering Flow or Enlightened states quicker, easier, and safer. 

My excitement was a bit dampened by the frustration that a lot of this incredible technology is still not readily available to the average person. 

However, if you are interested in boosting your productivity, personal development, and experiencing out-of-body states, this book will get you excited for the near future. You can also expect to be challenged in your beliefs on the topic of psychedelics.  

Lessons

1. Letting your subconscious mind take over can make teamwork much more effective

“That heightened cooperation, that communal vocational ecstasy, was what Page, Brin, and so many of Google’s engineers had discovered in the desert. It was an altered state of consciousness that suggested a better way of working together, and a feeling that anyone who presumed to lead them simply had to know firsthand.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

Teamwork can be difficult and exhausting unless the team is used to working with each other like a smoothly running engine. 

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to skip large parts of this ‘getting-used-to-each-other’-process by putting the whole team into an altered state of consciousness, which makes the lines between individual members and the team as a whole blur together? 

The SEALS already spend a ton of money and time training their soldiers to flip this switch during a mission because it dramatically enhances the whole team’s performance. 

2. Being ‘in the zone,’ doing mythical rituals, and taking psychedelics all cause a state of Ecstasis

“First, flow states, those “in-the-zone” moments including group flow, or what the SEALs experienced during the capture of Al-Wazu, and the Googlers harnessed in the desert. Second, contemplative and mystical states, where techniques like chanting, dance, meditation, sexuality, and, most recently, wearable technologies are used to shut off the self. Finally, psychedelic states, where the recent resurgence in sanctioned research is leading to some of the more intriguing pharmacological findings in several decades. Taken together, these three categories define our territory of ecstasis.” 

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

That’s one of the first and most crucial lessons I’ve taken from this book. 

You’ve probably heard athletes, artists, or business people all gush about the productivity they experience when they enter a flow state. 

You’ve most likely also heard spiritual people talking about seeing visions during prayer or experiencing a feeling of ‘oneness’ in meditation. 

And lastly, think about the ‘high’ that countless humans have been chasing for centuries through drugs, plants, glue, and numerous other psychedelics. 

In all these cases, people are experiencing very similar states in which the self vanishes, time seems endless, insights flow through them, and everything feels effortless. They are experiencing ecstasis. 

The fact that all kinds of different humans have been hunting and recommending this state for millennia shows how important this experience can be for us.

And fortunately, there are countless ways to enter ecstasis, with technology and science continually providing more effective and safe methods.

3. The guesswork, grind, and risks to get into flow are over!

“Historically, if you wanted to use meditation to consistently produce a state where the self vanished, decades of practice were required. Why? Because your target was nothing more than a peculiar sensation, and hitting it was like throwing darts blindfolded.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

I am immensely thankful for all the technological advancements that have provided me with this beautiful and opportunity-rich life. 

And reading about the upcoming technologies that will enable me to enter flow states in a fracture of the time and risk it took my ancestors is humbling. 

I can’t wait to make use of this altered state!

4. Being in Flow is freaking POWERFUL

“By using the tanks to eliminate all distraction, entrain specific brainwaves, and regulate heart rate frequency, the SEALs are able to cut the time it takes to learn a foreign language from six months to six weeks.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

“And it doesn’t seem to matter which technique we deploy: mindfulness training, technological stimulation or pharmacological priming, the end results are substantial. Consider the gains: a 200 percent boost in creativity, a 490 percent boost in learning, a 500 percent boost in productivity.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

I’ve been pretty much drooling when I’ve read these passages.

I mean, seriously, how AMAZING would life be if we managed to access flow at will?! 

If we were able to learn things so much faster and be so much more productive and creative all around, can you imagine what you would be able to accomplish? What would humanity collectively be able to accomplish?

This is insanely amazing!

If I could, I would build myself a Flow room with a deprivation tank, brain stimulation tools, and more this instant.

But as it is, I am currently only eyeing the MUSE meditation headband. 

5. Even just one experience of Ecstasis can change your life forever

“And when Britton examined the EEG data, she discovered why: the brain-firing patterns of her subjects were completely altered. It was as if the NDE had instantly rewired their gray matter. Sure, it was only a single experiment, but it did suggest that even a one-time encounter with a powerful altered state could impart lasting change.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

“So while ecstatic states (which are brief and transitory) aren’t the same as developmental stages (which are stable and long-lasting), it appears that having more of the former can, under the right conditions, help accelerate the latter. In short, altered states can lead to altered traits.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

This is an incredibly reassuring and motivating realization for me. 

I think I am so used to taking small steps that accumulate to big results that the thought of doing something once and benefitting from it for a lifetime is bewildering – but also immensely hopeful.

It makes me want to reach ecstasis even more. 

6. Ecstasis can be kinky

“Pleasure produces endorphins, but pain can prompt even more. The uncertainty of teasing, as Stanford’s Robert Sapolsky established, spikes dopamine 400 percent. Nipple stimulation boosts oxytocin. Pressure in the throat or colon regulates the vagus nerve, creating exhilaration, intense relaxation, and goose bumps, what Princeton gastroenterologist Anish Sheth memorably terms poo-phoria. “

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

“And momentary erotic transcendence can bring lasting change. “

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

Kinky sexual practices have long been shunned by society. Thankfully, in our post-50-shades-of-grey time, more and more people dare to be kinky in the bedroom. 

They discover what practices like tantric sex have been teaching for a long time: Sex is not just pleasurable for the body, but done in the right way can also elevate your mind to new planes.

Isn’t it awesome to know that something as fun and stimulating as sex can give similar results to months of meditation practice? 

7. Most adults don’t reach higher stages of personal development

“He discovered that while some adults remained frozen in time, a select few achieved meaningful growth. Right around middle age, for example, Kegan noticed that some people moved beyond generally well-adjusted adulthood, or what he called “Self-Authoring,” into a different stage entirely: “Self-Transforming.””

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

“While it usually takes three to five years for adults to move through a given stage of development, Kegan found that the further you go up that pyramid, the fewer people make it to the next stage. The move from self-authoring to self-transforming for example? Fewer than 5 percent of us ever make that jump.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

I’ve always known that if I consciously focus on my personal development, I will be living a happier and more successful life than most people. 

But this passage of the book showed me just how true that is. 

I can’t bear the thought of missing out on so much of my potential by staying stuck in a general adulthood stage of my life. 

I always want to be growing, and this just motivated me more to do so. 

8. Don’t underestimate the impact of your physiology on your emotions!

“Our facial expressions are hardwired into our emotions: we can’t have one without the other. Botox lessens depression because it prevents us from making sad faces. But it also dampens our connection to those around us because we feel empathy by mimicking each other’s facial expressions. With Botox, mimicry becomes impossible, so we feel almost nothing at all.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

“If simply standing like Wonder Woman for a few minutes is enough to produce meaningful changes in our hormonal profile, imagine what practicing a full sequence of yoga postures every morning would do.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

You’ve probably heard the recommendation that standing in superman-pose for a few minutes can make you feel more confident. 

But did you know that something as simple as smoothing out wrinkles with botox can heavily impact your emotions?

I had no idea. Looking at people with their stiff botox faces, I always thought they were doing more damage than good. But knowing that the impact goes much deeper than just aesthetics is incredibly eyeopening!

It shows that we shouldn’t just focus on our thoughts but also on our posture and movements. 

Try to integrate at least one habit focused on improving your physiology every day. Maybe for you, that’s yoga, or perhaps dancing. 

9. Ecstasis can cause ego inflation

“Rather than deciding, “Wow, I just had a mystical experience where I felt like Jesus Christ!” they conclude, “Wow, I am Jesus Christ. Clear the decks, people, I’ve got things to do!””

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

“Psychologists call this reaction “extreme ego inflation.” Often, the experience of selflessness is so new and compelling that it feels like no one else has ever felt this way before—that it’s evidence of some kind of sacred anointment. “

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

“no matter what comes up, no matter how fantastical your experience, it helps to remember: It’s not about you.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

Since ecstasis provides such a life-changing feeling that is only slowly being discussed openly, it is somewhat understandable how some people may feel like they have been chosen by some greater power to share what ecstasis revealed.

To prevent such ego inflation, it helps to do some research on other people’s experiences while in ecstasis. Nowadays, you can find websites like the Hyperspace Lexicon that include the most common experiences people have while in ecstasis. 

If you notice that thousands of people have received an Akashic Book full of profound wisdom, you quickly realize you’re not the chosen one after all. 

10. There is no right or wrong ecstasis tool

“Those three parameters—risk, reward, and time—provide a way to compare nonordinary states. This sliding scale lets you assess otherwise-unrelated methods—from meditation to psychedelics to action sports, to any others you can think of. “

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

You have to decide for yourself what tools for ecstasis are a good choice for you. 

You have to consider the factors risk, reward, and time to make a decision you will be happy with. 

Personally, I am currently not willing to pay the risks that come with taking psychedelics to get into a state of ecstasis. So, even though that can be a very quick way to bring big results, it’s not the right tool for me. 

You might be completely opposed to the idea of spending 10 minutes or more a day meditating. Instead, you like high-risk action sport and going to Burning Man. 

That’s ok, it’s your decision to make, and luckily we have many choices. 

11. Great power can be misused and requires a lot of responsibility

“And that’s the ultimate paradox of these states: all that liberation comes with an unavoidable dose of responsibility. While these states provide access to heightened performance and perspective, the upsides come at a cost. Between our own wayward tendencies and the dangers of militarization and commercialization, it’s easier than ever to fall asleep at the Switch.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

“Altered states are an information technology and what you’re after is quality data. If you spend all of your time blissed out, zenned out, drunk, stoned, sexed up, or anything else, then you’ve lost all the contrast that initially made those experiences so rich—what made them “altered” in the first place.”

– Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal (Stealing Fire)

As with every great discovery, there is plenty of opportunities to use it for harmful causes. 

Especially the military and marketers are likely to use ecstasis to make their targets/customers do what they want. 

Furthermore, we are in danger from ourselves that we overuse ecstasis and lose our grip on reality. 

To counter both the dangers posed by others and our own desires, we need to know what ecstasis is and be responsible for how we use it.

You can do this by planning your use of ecstasis beforehand with a timetable. You can schedule daily (e.g., meditation), weekly, monthly, and yearly activities (e. g. Burning Man visit) that let you experience ecstasis in a controlled, effective, and safe manner. 

And if the time comes, you might cast a vote for a politician who aims to regulate marketers’ use of ecstasis. 

Just be aware and intentional. 

That’s it for my Stealing Fire Book Review.

What was your favorite lesson? Have you experienced ecstasis before? If not, how do you plan to get there? 

I’m curious to hear from you!

Sophie

stealing fire book review | 11 lessons + quotes

11 Rules of Success from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Blog, Success

I recently rewatched Avatar: The Last Airbender and realized that Aang and his friends have quite a few important success tips for us. 

If you like this kind of success tips from series, movies, and books, you have to check out these: 

Read also: 11 Rules Of Success to Learn from Bridgerton

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1. Learn from your opposite

“It is important to draw wisdom from different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale.”

– Iroh

Humans are social beings. We instinctively try to find a group of like-minded people to fit into. 

There is, of course, nothing wrong with that. With the right group of people that support and inspire you, you can reach previously unimaginable heights. 

However, you miss out on so much wisdom if you don’t look outside your social circle for things to learn. 

Prince Zuko’s uncle knows this and is fascinated by what he can learn from the other nations.

He even teaches his nephew how to use firebending more effectively and safely by applying water bending movements.

You can do the same. 

Take a look at what you can learn from your political opposition, consider applying study techniques students from other college degrees use, and don’t disregard social media marketing tips as just applicable to these platforms. 

2. Delegate but keep an overview

The King of Ba Sing Se let his advisor run the daily goings of his great city. As a result, he was kept entirely in the dark about the oppression happening in the town and the century-long war outside of it.

There comes the point when every successful person needs to delegate some tasks to increase their success further.

After all, the day only has 24 hours, and you only have a limited amount of energy. Therefore, you can’t become an expert at hundreds of different tasks and execute them to an extraordinary level. 

You need help. 

When hiring someone, it helps to make sure you still keep an overview of what they do. 

Knowledge is potential power, so make sure never to lose yours. 

3. Acting out of anger makes you vulnerable

Zuko is too emotional. He acts out of bitterness and desperately tries to prove himself. 

This causes him to make rash decisions and act sloppily during fights.

Aang enters the powerful Avatar state in moments of great anger and anguish. 

This state makes him exponentially more powerful. However, he is also at his most vulnerable during this time. Getting killed in the Avatar state would cause the entire Avatar line to cease to reincarnate. 

In both cases acting out of anger can be detrimental. 

The same goes for you. Be careful to act when you feel emotional, especially if that emotion is anger. 

4. You are capable of more than you can imagine

Think of Katara blood bending and Tough metal bending – there are skills in you that you know nothing about yet. 

You are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for. 

You only need to keep working and trying out new things – soon enough; you’ll get stronger and stronger.

Right now, you might look up to celebrities, athletes, or entrepreneurs, envy them, and feel like they are miles out of your league. 

But they didn’t start like that. Instead, they began as ordinary people that kept pushing themselves. 

Why shouldn’t you be able to achieve the same? 

5. Learn from a mentor

Katara has been struggling to teach herself water bending. She knew that getting a master would change everything, and it did indeed. Unfortunately, she only got to train a short time with her master at the north pole, but even that brief guidance elevated her skills massively. 

Tough is the earthbending mentor Aang needed. Without her, he would have struggled to learn this bending skill that’s the natural opposite of airbending. 

And of course, there is Zuko’s uncle, who trained and guided the prince for years. 

If you’re not already fortunate enough to have a mentor in your life, the most straightforward way to get one is through hiring a coach.

However, as a student trying to build a business, I am very aware that that’s financially not necessarily ideal. 

So what do you do instead?

You immerse yourself as much as possible in the energy and advice of successful people. This can be done through reading their books, listening to their podcasts, watching videos, reading blog posts, or even reading their Instagram captions. 

Some entrepreneurs try to tell you that the real value lies in their products and that you miss out if you don’t buy them. 

Sure, they provide you with value. But if you don’t feel like that investment is a priority right now, you can still gain a lot from their free content. 

I know I benefit massively from it.

Here are two websites that accumulate great courses that can help you, as well: MasterClass and Mindvalley.

6. Practise beats talent when talent doesn’t put in the work

Zuko and Azula are the perfect examples of practice versus talent. Yes, Azula still practiced, but I feel like she rested a lot on her innate fire-bending talent. 

Don’t get discouraged by others’ talent. If you put in the work and stay consistent, you will build the necessary excellence for success.

7. Spirituality can help you prevail through the darkest times

This is a rather uncommon tip for success, but one I have noticed in many successful people, and to some extent, I am starting to experience it as well. 

There are always ups and downs in life. Especially the beginning of any journey towards success can be a long draught road. 

Many people give up because they don’t see any progress, or it seems like they are taking steps backward. 

When reality doesn’t look brightest, spirituality can be a powerful force to keep up your hope and continue working. 

The people suffering from the war in Avatar: The Last Airbender remain hopeful because of an Avatar nobody has seen in a century. 

Aang gains hope and support from spirits and his past lives.

Your belief in something can bring you immense comfort and help you to succeed. 

8. Helping others can help yourself

“Sometimes the best way to solve your own problems is to help someone else.”

– Iroh

I believe this is exactly what so many entrepreneurs experience.

By providing content and products for thousands of people, they gain the money and purpose to help themselves out of tough times. 

Dealing with other people’s problems can also bring your ones into perspective.

However, be careful to notice the keyword ‘sometimes.’ 

Some people like acting like a martyr and always place others above themself. 

They lend their time and money to others and don’t have the resources to level up themselves. 

Always remember, you are most capable of helping others when you are in a good place yourself. 

Poor people can rarely help poor people to get out of poverty; rich people can help much more effectively. 

You need to find a balance between helping others and not acting like a martyr. 

10. You don’t need a clear plan, just take action and have faith

“I didn’t know what or when, but I knew I’d know it when I knew it!” – King Bumi

What keeps most people from achieving their dream life (besides lacking the belief that it is possible) is their lack of a plan. 

They think they need to know beforehand every step of the way before they can get started. 

They are so used to the laid out path society tells them to take (go to school – study – graduate with good grades – go to a good university – study – get a good degree – find a good job – work your way up the ranks and safe money) that they are uncomfortable to have faith in an unclear journey. 

Just start acting on what you can do now. For example, if you want a successful business but don’t know what kind of business that would be, why not try out blogging? 

Start to move consistently in a direction that seems to bring you closer to your end goal. 

I am publishing one blog post a week. In the beginning, I thought I’d never come up with enough content, but instead of worrying, I just started writing, and as it turns out, I can easily come up with over 100 blog post ideas. 

After over two years of blogging, my idea of what business I want has already become clearer. 

I’m still unsure about many things, but I have utter faith that the details will automatically smooth themselves out when the time is right. 

11. Don’t let opportunities go to waste by being indecisive

“If I had been more decisive, and acted sooner, I could have stopped Sozin, and stopped the war before it started. I offer you this wisdom, Aang, you must be decisive.”

– Roku

Being decisive can be extremely difficult, and in daily life, it might not matter as much. But every once in a while, the universe presents you with a unique opportunity. 

This opportunity won’t wait around until you’ve made up your mind. 

I’ve learned that my intuition is really powerful and can help me a lot in these situations. 

Switching your brain off and listening to your intuition can take some practise. 

I recommend practicing with easy daily decisions that don’t have grave consequences. 

What was your favorite Avatar: The Last Airbender tip? 

And who’s your favorite character? I’ve always liked Katara and Ty Lee. 

Until next time!

Sophie

11 rules of success from avatar the last airbender

Rich As F*ck Book Review | 11 Lessons + Quotes

Blog, Boss Lady, Success

Here are my favorite lessons and some inspiring quotes from the book “Rich As F*ck: More Money Than You Know What to Do With .”

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Reading Experience

I’ve been working on my money mindset and energy for quite a while already, so the book’s overall concept was not mind-blowingly new for me. 

However, I still really enjoyed the wisdom of “Rich As F*ck!”. There were many golden nuggets that called me out on limiting beliefs I have and nudged me into a better direction. 

This book was another valuable and perfectly timed building block on my way to becoming a Wealthy Woman.

Unfortunately, the book has one fault that annoyed me repeatedly: Writing and formatting mistakes. 

Since English is my second language, even though I’m fluent in it, I usually give the author the benefit of the doubt when I stumble over a weird sentence structure or missing word. However, I did stumble enough times in this book that I couldn’t overlook these mistakes. 

The mentioned formatting mistakes are just a few line-breaks that seem unintentional and are probably only an issue of the Kindle version.

Lessons 

1. Whatever you do with your money, the energy behind it counts

“When it comes to the “smart” things we are taught to do with money, no one has told us that choosing not to spend money out of a desire to honor your money and love yourself and choosing not to spend money out of a fear that money is running out puts you into two very different energetic states.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

“As you’ve already gathered, this money thing isn’t really dependent on hard work, following formulas, restricting your desires, and playing it safe. Mastering money is about choosing your thoughts and feelings about money intentionally.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

There are countless financial experts on the internet that recommend different courses of action to increase your wealth. 

Some recommend strict budgeting, others frugal saving, and some investing your money in one way or another. 

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter so much what you do with your money, as it matters with which emotions and intentions you act. 

If saving feels good to you, makes you appreciate the money you have, and gives you a feeling of abundance, it helps you be in the right energy to attract more money. 

If you are saving because you have a frantic feeling of lack and panic that you will run out of money one day, you will only manifest bills that take up what you’ve saved. 

If you spend money with reluctance and grumble about every price, you are not living in an energy that will attract more money. 

If you purchase things with a feeling of gratitude and excitement for what money enables you to do, you’re on a good way to attract more money into your life. 

Your feelings and thoughts count!

2. You will always fall back to your energetic minimum if you don’t change it

You have a certain energetic minimum of money that you expect to be in your life. 

Maybe you would never expect to be completely debt-free. 

If that’s part of your energetic minimum, you can save and earn all you want; one way or another, bills will manifest to push you back into debt. 

You have to change your energetic standard first. Then the Universe will help you to attract an according to reality. 

3. You get to choose what’s true for you; don’t buy into other people’s realities!

“I don’t believe earnings have to drastically fluctuate. Once you are an energetic match for a certain income range, it doesn’t have to go up and down thereafter. You can choose for it to stay the same as a default. You can also choose for it to continually go up.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

Reading “Rich As F*uck” has made me aware of the many limiting realities I have been buying into, still. 

I’ve realized that as I’ve decided past limiting beliefs don’t align for me, I’ve just fallen into a new bunch of them. 

I’ve overcome the beliefs that only a 9-to-5 is a stable source of income, that investing is risky and will make you lose your money, that luck determines who ends up with a successful business, that it’s ridiculous to believe I’ll ever be a millionaire. 

With all these limiting beliefs and more, I’ve decided that I don’t want to subscribe to that reality. So I chose to create my own reality. 

At least to some extent …

People say that we can’t increase our income every month without fail; what if I don’t want that reality? 

Experts say you need to have funnels and do a lot of social media marketing to succeed; what if I hate the idea of that?

What makes these fixed ideas different from the previous ones? Why shouldn’t I be able to choose a different reality for me in these cases as well?

There are most likely always going to be some limiting ideas you’re thinking of as fixed. 

Look out for them and dare to defy them!

You are the creator of your reality!

4. The inner work never really stops

“I’ve manifested . . . a lot. And every single day of my life, I look at, and work on, my limiting ideas around what I can do, create, have, and become in this lifetime. The work has not stopped. I am just more familiar with what the work is.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

“I practice daily. Every day of my life, I experience some sort of unhelpful thought or feeling about money. Every day, my mind thinks something fearful or doubt-based. I choose not to make these things my truth.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

I’ve touched upon this already in the previous point, but it deserves a separate mentioning because of its importance. 

Most of us are very willing to keep up working on our mindsets, beliefs, and traumas.

And the more practice we have with it, the more skilled we get. 

However, the most difficult part might be recognizing exactly what we need to work on. 

So, I believe we should be especially careful to keep an eye out for new things to address during the habits we’ve created for our inner work. 

5. Feeling worthy is the key to attracting wealth; forgiving is crucial to feel worthy

“You are worthy. You are worthy because you are. You get to create a beautiful life because you do. There is nothing to prove. There is no one to impress. You are enough. “

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

You need to feel worthy of the wealth you desire to attract it.

If you feel undeserving, you will harbor doubts, guilt and question what you have – all of these will push money out of your life in the form of a low income, bills, and more. 

I’ve been actively working on my self-worth for a few months now. During that time, I’ve mostly focused on finding and highlighting skills, characteristics, and habits that make me worthy. 

Only recently, though, have I learned of the importance of forgiveness.

The book “The Extrordinary Minds” mentioned how forgiveness can drastically alter brainwaves and pretty much give you the same meditation results a monk has after decades of practice. 

That’s crazy powerful! 

So when Amanda Frances provided a few journals prompts in her book that also focused on the topic of forgiveness, I latched onto that sign immediately. 

Mind you, I am far from a vengeful person. On the contrary, I pretty easily forgive others, or rather, I rarely feel angry or offended enough for there to be something to forgive. 

Unfortunately, though, I am hard on myself in this department. 

I tend to cling to the tiniest missteps of mine for years to come. So while I don’t directly feel unworthy because of them, they definitely annoy me, which ought to impact me. 

So as uncomfortable as it is to confront these unpleasant memories, I now make a determined and conscious effort to work through any grudges I still have. 

6. Success doesn’t require struggle, but you can use struggle as a stepping stone to success

“I am saying that believing bad things must happen in order for good things to be created is not the only option.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

“You get to grow and go to your next level just because you decide to. No struggle required. However, if struggle has occurred or is occurring, you might as well turn it into gold.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

I’ve partly fallen into the trap of expecting some form of hardship before I can level up. 

Of course, when hard times occur, it is wise of you to use them for growth and milk them for all their worth. 

However, does that mean you always have to struggle before you succeed? Of course, not. 

This is your reality, and if you decide you get to succeed without major struggles, the Universe will pave the way for you. 

On the other hand, if you are looking eagerly for your next hardship because you think you need it, guess what you’ll find. 

7. You fully embody the energy when you can’t imagine it not happening

“For me, I know it is done when I can’t even imagine not receiving what I’ve decided I will.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

“The key for elevating into a new income range is making the new amount of money no big deal for you.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

For many people, me included, the possibly biggest issue with manifesting is that it’s hard to determine whether you embody the right energy. 

I mean, how does it feel like? 

How do I know that I’m not fooling myself by thinking that I’m doing it right? 

I loved Amanda Frances’ answer to this question because I know that feeling of certainty; I just rarely noticed it for what it is. 

I can’t imagine not having success with my blog and not being wealthy. I know that these things will happen sooner or later without a doubt in my mind (usually). 

It’s not a question of ‘if‘ but a question of ‘when.’

Because it’s such a natural feeling for me, I usually don’t realize I feel this way about something entirely unpredictable for an outsider at this point in time. 

Once in a while, I have a moment of sudden panic, as I realize that I am making decisions with an outcome in mind that might not actually happen. 

But this panic quickly subsides into certainty again. 

Now that I’ve realized that this is the energy I have to embody, I try to get to this point with all my manifestations. 

8. You are manifesting every moment of every day

“Remember this, my love: Every moment of every day, you are teaching yourself how to think of you. Every action you take and purchase you make informs yourself of who you are and where you are going.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

Every thought you think, every emotion you feel, and every action you take adds up.

Taken singularly, they are insignificant, but they add up to your overall energy, which shapes your reality.

This means manifesting your dream reality doesn’t require big rituals that you have to fit into your day.

Instead, you just need to remind yourself once in a while during the day to adjust your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

In the beginning, you might slip back into old patterns quickly. It can be frustrating because it seems like you are getting nowhere.

But like I said, it all adds up.
Every time you embody the energy you aim for, it gets easier and easier to do so.

You just need to put in a conscious effort consistently.

9. If you desire something, it means you are supposed to have it

I adore this mindset shift!

Somehow it changes everything. 

It feels like a higher power is supporting you in making your dreams come true. It makes the achievement of your desires seem more possible. 

10. The ‘How’ is not your responsibility; your thoughts, feelings, and actions are

“The Wealthy Woman elevates herself. She doesn’t know how the fuck she is going to get where she is going or how the fuck it is going to work, but she keeps going.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

It’s reassuring to know that you don’t need to have a master plan to get you to where you want to go. 

All you need to do is take messy inspired action in your goal’s rough direction and embody the right energy. 

Take me, for example. I want to make a huge positive impact, have a successful business and immense wealth. 

Do I already know exactly how these things would play out ideally? No.

However, I refuse to wait around until enlightenment strikes me. 

Instead, I started this blog and worked almost every day for over 2 years on it. 

It’s not yet my dream business, but I’m getting closer, and a more defined idea forms in my mind.

The ‘How’ is not my responsibility. 

I focus on inspired action, and I visualize and feel into my dream life often.

11. Don’t force yourself into a box if your desires lie outside of it

“The biggest lie ever told to emerging businesswomen is that you have to niche yourself into a tiny box. You are the niche. You are the brand. You are the thing. And if you want to teach on or talk about more than one thing, that’s okay.”

– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

Rich As F*ck dedicated one chapter to entrepreneur tips and this lesson would have helped ease my mind a lot when I started out, so I wanted to include it here. 

I struggled a lot on finding a niche to which I could dedicate my efforts. 

Sometimes I chose one, only to slightly change it again a few months later. 

Nowadays, I don’t care all too much about it anymore. So instead, I write the content I feel excited to write. 

Sometimes, that means personal development tips, business tips, non-fiction book reviews, and other times, I write about success lessons from series and movies. 

I’ve also just started sharing a few of my thoughts on Pinterest for people to relate to. 

I just do what feels right in the moment, and I have utter faith that the right people will find my business. 

Besides feeling able to express me fully, this broad niche approach enables my business to stand out among others. 

You can also apply this lesson to your life in general. Don’t try to fit into a predefined box. Don’t be just a gamer, nerd, a-student, or jock. Be many different things all mixed together. 

Have a multitude of passions and interests. Be a walking contradiction. 

Be you in your most free form, independent of any fictional restrictions. 

That’s it for this book review. 

What was your favorite lesson, and do you plan to pick up the book yourself? 

I’d love to hear from you!

Sophie